Deck 16: Aging and Psychological Disorders

Question 1

Treating the underlying medical problem can resolve delirium.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Speaking a second language reduces the risk of developing dementia.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Delirium typically has a slow onset.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

"Super agers" tend to develop Alzheimer's disease at the same frequency as other adults.

Question 5

Diagnostic criteria in DSM-5 are the same for adults and older adults (i.e., seniors)

Question 6

Paraphrenia is schizophrenia with onset in old age.

Question 7

Alzheimer's disease can only be conclusively diagnosed upon autopsy.

Question 8

Seniors currently make up about 15% of Canada's population.

Question 9

Medications (e.g., Aricept, Cognex)can reverse the progress of Alzheimer's disease.

Question 10

Over 74 million seniors in China would benefit from treatment for depression.

Question 11

Seniors tend to have the lowest rate of mental health problems in the population.

Question 12

Dementias, other than Alzheimer's disease, tend to have acute onset.

Question 13

People over the age of 65 are too old to have sex.

Question 14

Seniors may experience a form of "double jeopardy" in that they face stigmas for being mentally ill and physically ill.

Question 15

The preferred term for dementia is neurocognitive disorder.

Question 16

People tend to become more alike as they get older.

Question 17

Cross-al studies do not allow us to make statements about age changes over time.

Question 18

Selective mortality refers to people dropping out of studies because they die.

Question 19

The most prominent symptom of dementia is difficulty remembering past events.

Question 20

Frontal-subcortical dementias affect memory and motor function.

Question 21

According to studies of the elderly, training in the assessment and detection of depression could be particularly effective if this training is given to:

A)Friends
B)Family members
C)Family doctors
D)Psychologists

Question 22

Older adults are more expressive than younger adults in therapy.

Question 23

Negative aging stereotypes have been linked (Levy et al., 2009; Teusher, 2009)to:

A)A greater likelihood of enjoying life
B)A greater likelihood of experiencing subsequent cardiovascular events
C)The need to engage in regular exercise programs
D)The need to justify "feeling" old

Question 24

The current state of university programs focusing on gerontology in Canada (Konnert et al., 2009)is reflected in the following:

A)There are limited training activities that focus on diagnosis and assessment of older people
B)Overall breadth and depth of exposure to aging content is quite superficial
C)The only formal concentration in geropsychology is at the University of Calgary
D)When training in geropsychology exists, it is mostly focused on therapy, not diagnosis and assessment

Question 25

Research shows that psychotherapy is less effective for older adults.

Question 26

Family relationships are the biggest worry for older adults with anxiety.

Question 27

Consideration of death and dying are often a part of therapy with older adults.

Question 28

Ageism refers to:

A)The physical deterioration that accompanies old age
B)The intellectual deterioration that frequently occurs as a person ages
C)The phenomenon of feeling younger than one actually is
D)Prejudice against a person based on their age

Question 29

A study in Kingston, Ontario on the treatment of older adults by GPs (Mackenzie et al., 1999)found that:

A)GPs are more likely to treat older patients themselves for psychological problems than send them for treatment elsewhere.
B)GPs feel less prepared to identify older patients with psychological problems than they do younger patients.
C)Older patients are less likely to turn to their GPs for psychological treatment but rely more on friends and family.
D)None of the above

Question 30

Subjective age bias refers to:

A)The physical deterioration that accompanies old age
B)The intellectual deterioration that frequently occurs as a person ages
C)The phenomenon of feeling younger than one actually is
D)Prejudice against a person based on their age

Question 31

Older adults experience insomnia at double the rate of younger people.

Question 32

Antidepressant medication seems to be most effective in the elderly if it is taken for longer periods of time (e.g., 24 months).

Question 33

Late-onset depression is when someone experiences depression for the first time in old age.

Question 34

Setting the age at which one is considered 'old,' which is now 65, is based upon:

A)Clear biological changes that begin at about that age
B)Social policy
C)The age at which individuals begin to refer to themselves as old
D)A scientific standard

Question 35

There are approximately 600 000 people in Canada who are 60 years of age or older (2007). By 2041, this number is expected to climb to: THIS IS FACTUALLY INACCURATE

A)1 million
B)2)5 million
C)5 million
D)10 million

Question 36

Seniors have increased their prevalence of binge drinking.

Question 37

Until recently, some workers, including university professors, were forced to discontinue their positions due to mandatory retirement. Such discrimination has been termed:

A)Age-related discrimination
B)Geriatric prejudice
C)Ageism
D)Age effects

Question 38

The loss of a loved one is the second most important risk factor for depression in the elderly.

Question 39

Older people are more likely to communicate their intent to suicide than younger people.

Question 40

The phenomenon of feeling younger than one actually is refers to:

A)Ageism
B)Aging
C)Subjective age bias
D)Objective age phenomenon

Question 41

A group of people age 40 are compared to a group aged 70. This type of research is called:

A)Longitudinal
B)Time-of-measurement
C)Cross-al
D)Cohort effect

Question 42

In studying Alzheimer and dementia in the elderly, Oveisgharan and Hachinski (2010)established that:

A)Among the elderly people with cognitive impairment but not dementia, hypertension is associated with increased likelihood of progressing to dementia.
B)Among the elderly people with cognitive impairment but not dementia, head trauma is associated with increased likelihood of progressing to dementia.
C)Among the elderly people with head trauma but not dementia, hypertension is associated with increased likelihood of progressing to dementia.
D)None of the above.

Question 43

According to their analyses of data from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging, Andrew and Rockwood (2007)found that _____________ was associated with greater levels of psychiatric illness.

A)old age
B)traditional family and social supports
C)any illness in the elderly
D)physical frailty

Question 44

The Canadian Study of Health and Aging has allowed researchers to:

A)Develop better screening tools for dementia
B)Pinpoint the specific genes involved in Alzheimer's disease
C)Develop an algorithm to predict which seniors are most likely to develop dementia
D)Create new opportunities to study the elderly

Question 45

Longitudinal studies involve:

A)Testing several different age groups on two or more measures
B)Testing age effects vs. cohort effects in a population
C)Testing one cohort over time
D)Testing the effects of time-of-measurement

Question 46

Canadian family physicians feel less prepared to identify psychological problems among:

A)Children
B)Adolescents
C)Middle-aged adults
D)Seniors

Question 47

Which of the following statements is an example of a time-of-measurement effect?

A)Today's older adults are less likely to seek mental health services because when they were growing up, mental illness was stigmatized.
B)Because exercise has become widely promoted in the media, many older adults are now exercising and thus are healthier than was predicted by earlier measures of their physical well-being.
C)Because of the effects of aging on the brain, older adults do less well than younger adults on measures of "fluid" intelligence.
D)In a longitudinal study, many of the elderly subjects died before the follow-up data was collected.

Question 48

Which of the following statements is an example of an age effect?

A)Today's older adults are less likely to seek mental health services because when they were growing up, mental illness was stigmatized.
B)Because exercise has become widely promoted in the media, many older adults are now exercising and thus healthier than was predicted by earlier measures of their physical well-being.
C)Because of the effects of aging on the brain, older adults do less well than younger adults on measures of academic performance.
D)In a longitudinal study, many of the elderly subjects died before the follow-up data was collected.

Question 49

In cross-al research on aging:

A)Two age groups are compared at one point in time.
B)People with different mental disorders are compared at one point in time.
C)The same group of people are followed over time.
D)People from different cultures are compared at one point in time.

Question 50

According to Canadian researcher Herbert, "The Big Boom" will have a tremendous impact on Canada's heath system. "The Big Boom" refers to an increase in the:

A)Prevalence of mood disorders among generation X
B)Number of seniors within the next 10 years
C)Number of people affected by HIV and AIDS in the next decade
D)Prevalence of autism

Question 51

Results from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (CSHA)indicated that acute, sudden onset of dementia:

A)Is associated with greater chance of institutionalization
B)Is associated with decreased vascular risk
C)Occurs in about half of all dementia cases
D)Is associated with reduced survival rates

Question 52

The main goal(s)of the Canadian Study of Health and Aging was (were)to

A)estimate the prevalence of dementia in Canadians over age 65.
B)examine patterns of caring for people with dementia.
C)identify risk factors associated with Alzheimer's disease.
D)All of the above.

Question 53

Which of the following statements is an example of selective mortality?

A)Today's older adults are less likely to seek mental health services because when they were growing up, mental illness was stigmatized.
B)Because exercise has become widely promoted in the media, many older adults are now exercising and thus healthier than was predicted by earlier measures of their physical well-being.
C)Because of the effects of aging on the brain, older adults do less well than younger adults on measures of "fluid" intelligence.
D)In a longitudinal study, many of the elderly subjects died before the follow-up data was collected.

Question 54

According to data from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging (2000), approximately __________ new cases of dementia are identified each year in Canada.

A)15 000
B)60 000
C)1 100 000
D)1 750 000

Question 55

Mila is a graduate student in psychology in Canada. She is quite interested in developmental aspects of mental health and is hoping to work with older adults. She wonders if she should finish her studies here or abroad and you advise her:

A)There are many geropsychology training programs in Canada
B)There are no geropsychology training programs in Canada
C)She should consider heading to the U.S. for specialized training
D)She should consider going to Europe for specialized training

Question 56

As people age, they become

A)more different from one another.
B)more alike.
C)more alike until age 65, at which point they become more different from one another.
D)more different from one another but not as different as are adolescents.

Question 57

Cohort effects are reflected in which of the following problems in research?

A)Third variable
B)Directionality
C)Reliability
D)Longitudinal

Question 58

Hubbard et al. (2009)studied frailty in the elderly and found that:

A)A history of smoking is one of the most reliable predictors of physical frailty
B)Moderate smoking during one's youth is associated with physical frailty
C)Physical frailty is only mildly associated with a history of smoking
D)There is no association between smoking and frailty

Question 59

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia is ______ in Canada.

A)<1 %
B)8%
C)16%
D)22%

Question 60

A problem with interpreting results from longitudinal studies of aging is:

A)Cohort effects are not controlled for.
B)The findings may not generalize to other cohorts.
C)The changes found may be the result of aging effects, not cohort effects.
D)The most active and healthy subjects may drop out of the study, leading to pessimistic findings about aging.

Question 61

In DSM-5, dementia is listed under:

A)Dementia, Delirium, Amnestic, and Other Cognitive Disorders
B)Neurocognitive Disorders
C)Neurodevelopmental Disorders
D)Alzheimer's Disease

Question 62

In terms of extant diagnostic criteria, disorders of old-age in DSM-5:

A)Have been revised substantially from the previous DSMs
B)Are basically the same as those of younger adults
C)Are included in a separate for the first time
D)Are basically similar to Axis II disorders

Question 63

According to a review conducted by Zakzanis and colleagues (2003), in which region of the brain is volume loss the most sensitive measure for identifying patients with Alzheimer's disease after four of more years?

A)Hippocampus
B)Anterodorsal nucleus
C)Medial temporal lobe
D)Cerebellum

Question 64

Alzheimer's disease is evident in post-mortem brains by:

A)Smaller ventricles
B)Atrophy of the cerebral cortex by plaque deposits
C)Plaque deposits on the medulla oblongata
D)None of the above are correct.

Question 65

Research regarding Alzheimer's disease indicates that:

A)More women than men die of Alzheimer's disease
B)Brain tissue deterioration can be reversed in some circumstances
C)Median survival time is about 3 years from onset of symptoms
D)Men live longer and experience less severe symptoms than women

Question 66

Diagnosing psychopathology in older adults is difficult because:

A)It is difficult to distinguish between their real, exaggerated, and imaginary complaints.
B)Little research has been done on symptoms of disorders in older adults.
C)Older adults have difficulty communicating their complaints clearly.
D)Many more disturbed individuals die before reaching old age.

Question 67

Impairment in which of the following areas is the most prominent symptom of dementia?

A)Memory
B)Abstract thinking
C)Judgement
D)Language

Question 68

The Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale (GSIS)has four subscales including:

A)Suicide ideation, death ideation, loss of personal and social work, and perceived meaning in life
B)Negative view of self, others, work, and life in general
C)Introjected anger, sense of loss, hopelessness, and fatalism
D)Death wish, suicide intent, hopelessness, and rigid thinking

Question 69

In individuals with Alzheimer's disease, the first area(s)of the brain typically affected by atrophy include:

A)Entorhinal cortex and hippocampus
B)Parietal lobes
C)Diencephalon and telencephalon
D)Frontal lobes

Question 70

Alzheimer's disease is the result of:

A)Age-based slowing of all bodily processes
B)Low social and intellectual stimulation
C)Tangled abnormal protein filaments called neurofibrillary tangles
D)Side-effects of long-term medication, such as anti-Parkinson's medication

Question 71

The Canadian Study of Health and Aging is

A)a self-report longitudinal study on dementia.
B)a longitudinal study using interviews, medical exams, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).
C)a longitudinal survey on the risk factors for Alzheimer's disease.
D)a cross-al study using the MMSE.

Question 72

Some of the most commonly used tools for assessing and diagnosing elderly people include all of the following EXCEPT:

A)The Clock Test
B)The Mini-Mental State Examination
C)The Alzheimer's Symptom Checklist
D)The Geriatric Hopelessness Scale

Question 73

What is an early sign of Alzheimer's disease?

A)Loss of sensation or motor control on one side of the body
B)Difficulty comprehending speech
C)Difficulty remembering new material
D)Clouded state of consciousness

Question 74

The Alzheimer Society of Canada (2010)projected that the current 500 000 Canadians with Alzheimer will rise to _____ cases within a generation based on population trends and risk factors, and costs increasing from $15 billion to ____ billion.

A)800 000; $105
B)900 500; $105
C)1)1 million; $153
D)1)5 million; $153

Question 75

The Geriatric Suicide Ideation Scale by Heisel is unique because:

A)It was developed in Canada and has norms for French-Canadians
B)It is one of the first measures of Schneidman's concept of psychache
C)It is the first scale of its kind created specifically for the elderly
D)It measures both self-reports and clinician ratings

Question 76

Elderly people may be subject to "double jeopardy," which means facing stigmas about:

A)Being old and being frail
B)Being frail and being mentally ill
C)Being mentally ill and being old
D)Being both physically and mentally ill

Question 77

A lay term for dementia is:

A)CVA
B)Stroke
C)Delirium
D)Senility

Question 78

A study of Alzheimer's patients and their family informants at the University of Victoria found that patients are:

A)Wholly aware of their memory decline and disturbed by it
B)Unaware of the extent of their memory decline and therefore not as disturbed by it as one might think
C)Wholly unaware of the extent of their memory decline
D)Often aware of deficits in memory but not in learning

Question 79

The Clock Test is an assessment tool which has been found to be effective in screening for:

A)Psychosis in old age
B)Emotional conflicts in old age
C)Alzheimer's disease
D)Language disorders in old age

Question 80

In terms of Canadians who are 65 years or older, Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia is present in:

A)1 in 7
B)1 in 9
C)1 in 13
D)1 in 20